And then follow these directions:

If your sneakers are wet with mud, make sure you dry them first, preferably in sunlight as they would be easier to clear the mud off the soles of the sneakers.

Remove the laces (if there are) and wash them by hand in warm water separately.

In a different tub, wash the sneakers in warm water mixed with some mild liquid soap. Use an old toothbrush to clean the dirt and stains. You can use a nylon brush to get rid of the more stubborn ones.

For odor problems, you can mix baking soda and water and rub the inside of the canvas shoes.

Rinse well and dry under the sun. You can check the tag if they can be machine dried.

Once dry, you can apply polish for canvas sneakers.

Junk e-mail can be nuisances. To avoid having them lying around in your inbox folder, here are some stuff you can do to prevent them.

Do not give your e-mail addresses away. Always be cautious of whom you entrust with them. Signing up for newsletters online can attract junk e-mails.

What you can do is to look for a “Privacy Policy” when signing up for something. Read through and check if they do keep your information safe. Just to be sure, you can always create a special e-mail account which you can use for signing up to services.

Avoid forwarding mass e-mails because your e-mail address can also be potentially sent to other people you might not even know – including spammers.

Check your e-mail provider’s anti-spam services. They have junk e-mail blockers that can be used for uour account. They can detect potential junk messages and filter them so that they automatically go to a Junk folder.

Their teeth are also more prone to decay and their gums may also recede in time. Although regular oral care (toothbrushing, flossing, etc.) is a good preventive measure, a dentist is needed to correct and preserve teeth.

The elderly should also avoid tobacco and other food or drinks that may cause staining. Couple with poor diet, these are the number one causes of tooth decay. In worse cases, they can also result to a high risk of oral cancers.

Tell the dentist of any medication that is being taken by the patient. Some of these medicines may weaken the teeth.

If a healthcare worker takes care of the elderly patient, then make sure that they do not neglect dental care as well.

Giving away gifts isn’t wrong. However, it takes a bit of tact and planning. Here’s what you can do:

Check the gift if it is new and in good condition. Giving away old, dirty, and broken items is a dead give-away. And who would ever actually do that?

Check if the gift is appropriate for the occasion and for the person. Even if it’s just re-gifting, make sure that you make an effort to make the gift a little more personalized.

Check that you have removed all tags, wrappers, and any sign of the item being a previous gift.

Check that the person you will give it will like it and/or use it.

Remember that you do not give the gift to the person who gave it to you in the first place.

Tired of how your garden looks? Well perhaps it’s time to give it a makeover!

Assess your garden and see how you can rearrange your pots and plots. Take note of existing plants and see where you can add more. Consider the color of the flowers when they bloom and arrange them wherein the flowering plants can compliment one another’s colors better.

Consider creating a theme for your garden. This will allow you to think easily of what plants or accessories to put in your garden.

Try to add lighting in your garden. Some plants actually bloom better at night. Explore different lighting to take advantage of this.

Water is not only essential for plants but its presence in a garden adds a calm and relaxing feeling. Consider adding a small pond, or a fountain in your garden.

Accessories, small and grand, can add oomph to your garden as well. You can add lamps, painted pots, corner paintings, sculptures, stones and rocks, wind chimes, bamboo screens, etc. You can always buy whatever is according to your budget.

Try not to do things all in one sitting. Giving your garden a makeover can be a continuing project which you can work on at your own time and leisure.

Many people dread the coming winter as the colder temperature can surely mean more costly electricity. Here are some ways to cut on electricity consumption.

During warmer days, leave the shades of your windows open so that sunlight can come in the room. This will allow you to turn off the lights. Heat from the sun can also be seep into the room, allowing you to turn off the heater for a few hours.

In order not to use valuable heat, inspect your windows and doors for drafts. Make sure that everything is sealed tightly before winter sets in.

If your house has two or more stories equipped with a hot air system, you can close the vents in the upper floors. Hot air rises so you can just allow it to move upwards.

Add insulation between walls or in basements and attics. You can also have a digital thermostat installed, wherein you can program when to lower or raise the temperature. These may be expensive upon installation but it will help reduce costs of utilities for many years to come.

Many organizations preach about encouraging and fostering ethical behavior among their employees. But talking is one thing, reinforcing it is another.

Not all Talk. Although every individual is responsible for his actions, the company too should be accountable the pressure they put on their people.

The organization may also try to come up with policies for the management team. Written guidelines on how to make decisions and on the use of finances and company resources could help keep people aligned.

Practice accountability. Everyone should report to someone.That top person or group of persons should demand transparency.  This way, it would be difficult to hide anything shady going on. Some may try but if everyone is vigilant and consistent in living up to the business ethics policy of the company, then the weeds can be easily pulled out.

We may all be too focused on our kids once they come into this world. But even new mothers with all those excitement can burn out too if they don’t give time to themselves.

Hit two (or more) birds with one stone. Get some exercise by putting your baby in a stroller and going out for a walk. You can even hold baby in your arms and do some light dancing with your kid. You can also turn on the TV and watch a bit of your favorite show while playing with baby.

Take advantage of the feeding schedule. Once you’ve got the feeding time established, you can always work around it. While breastfeeding or bottle-feeeding, you can prop a book or a magazine and read.

When baby is napping, try to nap too. It is very tempting to clean the house or do the laundry when the baby is not demanding for your attention. But you too must rest. Try to get some sleep, even if it’s just a power nap. You can simply lie down and close your eyes.

Enlist the help of your partner or spouse or even a close relative. Mark one day each week to be your “day.” Go out and and have a bit of “me” time, and don’t feel guilty about it. You’ll come back refreshed and recharged.

One is never too old to learn. If you’ve decided to go back to school, then good for you.

Remember that going back to school shouldn’t be done on a whim. It would take some dedication and perseverance on your part to finish. It may be quite difficult too as you have other areas in your life to prioritize. So before you embark on this exciting new adventure, try to ask yourself a few questions:

• Why am I going back to school?
• Why am I taking this course?
• What are my goals and expectations?
• Are these expectations realistic?

Make sure that you have all the information you need before you decide to enroll. Consider the school. Will it be physically near work or home so you wont have to travel far for classes. Consider the course. Is there a non-thesis option? Can you take classes on line instead? Consider your financial capabilities. Do you have enough savings for this? Do you need to apply for a loan? Or can you get money elsewhere. Can you find ways to spend little on books and other school needs?

Make sure that your employer knows that you are going back to school. You can talk to the HR department to avail of study reimbursements, especially if the course you will be taking is related to work. You can also ask for information on special study leaves that you can avail eventually.

Make sure that you talk this over with your partner or spouse. Your going back to school may mean juggling of budget and time with the family. Besides, your partner will be able to provice you more support when your motivation wanes a bit.

All employees will at one point make an absence. So how do you deal when one member is not present to do crucial tasks?

One thing you have to keep in mind that not all absences are negative. For one, employees taking a sick leave is helping by not spreading contagious illness to their coworkers. Employees also need to take vacation leaves to re-charge and to unwind.

What you can do when this happens is to re-shuffle some tasks among the people a bit. If your people are handling too much tasks already, you can opt for borrowing another staff from another team, or having a temp agency provide short term cover.

If the absences are occuring a lot and many employees are starting to do the same, then you have to think hard. Interview people and maybe even hold a team discussion so they can air their opinions. Their absences might mean that there is something wrong with the work environment.

If certain people are just being unwilling to abide by the company’s policy then you’d have to reinforce consequences of non-compliance.